- Audio CD
- Number of Discs: 1
- Label: Import
- ASIN: B0043XERTK
- Other Editions: Audio CD | Vinyl | MP3 Download
- Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (145 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 185,906 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
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Product Description
Review
Every day, life presents us with puzzling posers. Why did the Crazy Frog have a penis? It makes no sense. Others are far easier to tackle. Recently, the music press asked, for roughly the nth time: is rock dead? The foundation for said inquisition: rock tracks accounted for only three of the UK’s 100 top-selling singles of 2010. And the answer is, of course, no. But it’s the success of jack-of-all-trades artists like Bruno Mars (pop, soul, reggae, RnB – he has a crack at them all), whose two British singles to date have both topped the chart, that threatens rock’s influence on this nation’s impressionable youths.
Which is, frankly, a disaster in waiting – this is some of the most uninspired music one might stumble across in 2011. Doo-Wops & Hooligans rather lays its cards on the table with its title alone – doo-wop suggests simplicity and accessibility, but hooligans, well, they can be trouble. Appropriately, this is immediate fare, every little motif and melody geared for maximum commercial appeal (i.e. the record lacks any individuality or personality whatsoever, unfolding as a mush of well-known artists past and present). The danger, though, doesn’t stem from a little tension in the lyrics or dynamic flair in the arrangements. No. The danger is that unless Mars is stopped, there will be more of this. More music that wants to be The Script one minute and Michael Jackson the next; music which strums its way into existence with the same vapidity that fellow Hawaiian Jack Johnson has constructed a career on; music so spectacularly beige that it’s a wonder anyone has picked it out from the crowd before now.
Perhaps Mars’ name is accountable for his achievements to date. It’s something US artists do well, adopting monikers that make them sound like super heroes. Bruno Mars (real name Peter Hernandez): you can imagine him swooping in to save the damsel in distress. Whereas domestic chart-toppers likes Tinie Tempah and Dizzee Rascal sound more like rejects from the Bash Street Kids gang. A couple of contributors inject a little colour into proceedings – Damian Marley spends ten in the studio for a few bars of Liquor Store Blues, and B.o.B. returns the ‘featuring’ favour, after his Mars-guesting Nothin’ on You hit, by showing up on closer The Other Side. But when Mars is left to his own devices, inspiration vaporises (this, despite some fine past form in a producer role). Marry You is a too-clingy and very creepy love song, Talking to the Moon a ballad devoid of detectable emotion, and Grenade fails to observe the first rule of catching said explosive device: toss the thing back.
The slushy sentiments will click with a tweenager in the throes of a first crush – but anyone with life and love experience beyond passing notes around at the back of class is advised to pass on this collection of monochrome musings in favour of something with a heartbeat. Perhaps, even, something that rocks.
--Mike Diver
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CD Description
The celebrated debut album from singer-songwriter Bruno Mars, who scooped the Best International Male Solo Artist award at the 2012 BRITs off the back of a string of hits such as "Grenade", "The Lazy Song" and "Marry You". This limited edition box set includes a set of badges, a poster and a patch.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
If you have any doubt in your mind whether or not to buy, let me persuade you.
You start with Grenade, fantastic song, fantastic lyrics.
Just the way you are. Tell's it how it is, the only problem is, you won't look good infront of your girlfriend while this is playing in the car.. Bruno tops you everytime with the lyrics!!!
skip past 'our first time' if your mum is with you, can be a bit awkward!!! very suggestive lyrics..
Runaway baby is brilliant, my personal favourite. Such an energetic song to portray Bruno's vocal talent.
The lazy song is a fun little tune, basically tells you what you should be doing on a lazy saturday!
skip to talking to the moon, simply amazing. just amazing.
Liquor store blues, with damian marley is fantastic,
the other side, somewhere in brooklyn and talking to the moon acoustic top this album off.
Only downside is CD case was cracked at the front and on the top joint, i simply replaced top cover with an old CD!!
although i think this was Royal Mails fault due to slight damage to packaging...
Please buy and Enjoy!!!
You start with Grenade, fantastic song, fantastic lyrics.
Just the way you are. Tell's it how it is, the only problem is, you won't look good infront of your girlfriend while this is playing in the car.. Bruno tops you everytime with the lyrics!!!
skip past 'our first time' if your mum is with you, can be a bit awkward!!! very suggestive lyrics..
Runaway baby is brilliant, my personal favourite. Such an energetic song to portray Bruno's vocal talent.
The lazy song is a fun little tune, basically tells you what you should be doing on a lazy saturday!
skip to talking to the moon, simply amazing. just amazing.
Liquor store blues, with damian marley is fantastic,
the other side, somewhere in brooklyn and talking to the moon acoustic top this album off.
Only downside is CD case was cracked at the front and on the top joint, i simply replaced top cover with an old CD!!
although i think this was Royal Mails fault due to slight damage to packaging...
Please buy and Enjoy!!!
51 of 56 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Having heard little bits of Hawaiian-born American singer Bruno Mars here and there on Youtube (enough to remember him), I saw this in the supermarket today and took a gamble on it. Glad I did! ... It's not my usual thing (I'm more into Ska, Rock and Indie), but I took an instant warm to "Doo-Wops and Hooligans".
I suppose, given his LA/Hawaii roots, his musical style is somewhat understandable: from the first track, my room filled with an uplifting (and stylish) mixture of breezy, summery pop (lightly influenced by cool, urban reggae -- though it's more pop than anything). Bruno's soft (lightly falsetto) voice is perfectly matched with his cool-beats and Caribbean-toned music. It feels like you should be listening to this on a hammock with a glass of coconut juice and crashing waves beside you ))
The songs are a blissful mixture of sunny romantic ballads and lazy chillout tracks. Personal highlights, are the addictive opener "Grenade" the appropriately titled (and infectiously inspirational) toe-tapper "The Lazy Song" ("Today I don't feel like doing any-thing...") and the moving "Count on Me". That said, though, there isn't any really any filler on the album: due to the style it's just perfect for kicking off your shoes and lying down with a of cuppa ))! My only ("slight") niggle, is that track 2 "Just The Way You Are" sounds very similar to Alicia Keys "Doesn't Mean Anything" (Element of Freedom). So close as to be little more than a complete rip-off!....(Search out the mash-ups online, they fit almost perfectly!)
Quibble aside you can't really go wrong with this album. If you like lazy, chilled-out, uplifting music go out and get it -- it's the perfect tonic for all those blue, wintry days.
I suppose, given his LA/Hawaii roots, his musical style is somewhat understandable: from the first track, my room filled with an uplifting (and stylish) mixture of breezy, summery pop (lightly influenced by cool, urban reggae -- though it's more pop than anything). Bruno's soft (lightly falsetto) voice is perfectly matched with his cool-beats and Caribbean-toned music. It feels like you should be listening to this on a hammock with a glass of coconut juice and crashing waves beside you ))
The songs are a blissful mixture of sunny romantic ballads and lazy chillout tracks. Personal highlights, are the addictive opener "Grenade" the appropriately titled (and infectiously inspirational) toe-tapper "The Lazy Song" ("Today I don't feel like doing any-thing...") and the moving "Count on Me". That said, though, there isn't any really any filler on the album: due to the style it's just perfect for kicking off your shoes and lying down with a of cuppa ))! My only ("slight") niggle, is that track 2 "Just The Way You Are" sounds very similar to Alicia Keys "Doesn't Mean Anything" (Element of Freedom). So close as to be little more than a complete rip-off!....(Search out the mash-ups online, they fit almost perfectly!)
Quibble aside you can't really go wrong with this album. If you like lazy, chilled-out, uplifting music go out and get it -- it's the perfect tonic for all those blue, wintry days.
22 of 24 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
I treated myself to this CD because my grandsons were always singing songs from it, and I kept hearing Bruno Mars on the car radio on my way to work. I was already familiar with 'Grenade' and 'Just the way you are', but 'Our first time' has a great reggae beat to it and it's so good to hear Damian Marley featured on 'Liquor Store Blues' - I've spent half my life listening to Bob Marley's music. Celo Green is featured on 'The Other Side' and he has a huge voice (bought his album too!). To keep it brief, there isn't a track on here that I don't enjoy, and I'd recommend it to anyone.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
absolutley fabulous
Every track on this C.D. is fantastic, even the ones that I hadn't heard before. It was well worth the money and I would certainly recommend this C.D. Read more
Published 10 days ago by S. J. Billingham
Fab!
I love Bruno, and this album is great, I play it on repeat and never get tired of it, buy it now!
Published 19 days ago by Chloe Lear
Glad I Didn't Take Notice Of The Main Review!
Absolutely love this album! Love Bruno's voice. The songs are fab. No need to skip any as they are all very good tracks. Read more
Published 19 days ago by D. Jay
Brilliant Bruno
This Album is superb. Loads of singles and those that are not are still very listenable. I have the album on repeat. Highly recommended!
Published 23 days ago by Doug uk
feel good factor.
Bruno Mars is so gifted. All the music throughout the CD just makes feel cheerful and mellow. You just want to dance to all the songs. Glad I got the CD. Read more
Published 28 days ago by Mrs. L
Foot tapping
I love Bruno Mars. Great album with all of his hits on. Keep playing it in car to put me in a good mood.
Published 1 month ago by Joanna Betts
a goog cd
Nice sound good song bruno mars is quite hard to go wrong with.
Made a great gift and keeps getting played around the house.
Made a great gift and keeps getting played around the house.
Published 1 month ago by nym
Cool buy
What can i say? I am a Brnuo Mars fan and love this cd.
He is great and my kids happily dance around while i have the cd on. Read more
He is great and my kids happily dance around while i have the cd on. Read more
Published 1 month ago by mummy41
Super Birthday Present
This is a brilliant CD which I have just been given for my birthday.
My highlights are Just the Way you Are, Somewhere in Brooklyn, The Other Side and the Lazy... Read more
My highlights are Just the Way you Are, Somewhere in Brooklyn, The Other Side and the Lazy... Read more
Published 1 month ago by CathyT
Excellent.
This was bought for my nephew, not for me and he loves it. I personally have not heard it yet, so unfair to do a proper review, but my nephew said to say it is excellent and... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Dolly Mixture
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